Kai reclined back into the plush comfort of his gaming chair, the kind that practically swallows him whole. The room was dim, lit only by the glow of his massive 4K screen, which was currently displaying Eldren's Wrath, his latest obsession. The epic, high-stakes fantasy anime had consumed his every waking moment over the past few days. He'd been meaning to catch up on sleep, maybe even do some laundry, but... Eldren's Wrath demanded his undivided attention.
It was another late night, or was it early morning? Kai wasn't sure. Time didn't matter much when you were lost in an anime world full of dragons, magic, and legendary heroes. He didn't care that the sun was likely rising. The battle that had just started on the screen was epic, and no way was he missing it.
The moment the Great Dragon Kalthir descended from the sky, roaring in fury, Kai's heart skipped a beat. He'd been waiting for this fight for weeks, ever since the last episode ended on a cliffhanger. The main character, Elion, had just barely survived an ambush from the dragon's minions. His magical sword, Sundering Edge, was the only thing standing between him and certain death. The stakes were higher than ever. Kalthir, the ancient beast, was as powerful as a natural disaster, and Elion—well, he was just a hero on the edge of his breaking point.
Kai was practically vibrating with excitement. He snatched up a handful of popcorn from the bowl at his side, tossing it into his mouth without looking. He'd watched this battle twice already, but something about watching it again, at this precise moment, was just... right.
He didn't even mind that his eyes were starting to burn. The excitement overrode the tiredness. He was wide awake now, sitting forward, elbows on his knees, fully immersed in the world unfolding on-screen. He could feel his pulse quicken with every slash of Elion's sword, every magical incantation, and each monstrous roar of Kalthir. The tension was building, and so was his adrenaline.
Kai's fingers twitched toward the glass of cola sitting precariously on the edge of his desk. He reached for it absently, still caught up in the drama. A wild, instinctive reflex—but no, his hand missed the glass completely.
"Ah, crap," he muttered to himself. The cola teetered, wobbling on the edge, before it tipped and splashed across the desk in a haphazard arc. Kai flinched.
The dark liquid splattered over the desk, trickling down the keyboard, soaking into his mouse pad, and staining the surface of his favorite manga collection. For a moment, all Kai could do was stare in stunned disbelief as the disaster spread like a wildfire, dripping from his desk and pooling onto the floor.
"Seriously?!" He cursed under his breath, looking at the mess he'd just made.
But before he could move, another sound broke his concentration: the crash of his chair as it suddenly tipped backward.
"Shit!" Kai yelped, jerking forward as he tried to grab the chair's armrest to steady himself. But his movements were too late. He overcompensated, his legs sliding out from under him, and in an instant, he was falling.
Everything went black.
---
There was no pain. Just... nothing.
For what felt like an eternity, Kai floated in a void, weightless. His mind buzzed with confused thoughts that came and went like flashes of lightning. His body didn't feel like it was his own. No arms, no legs, no sense of anything physical, just the endless quiet hum of an existence that seemed to have no anchor.
What the hell? Kai thought, his mind racing. He tried to focus, tried to make sense of the sudden stillness that surrounded him, but it was as if his senses had been wiped clean. There was nothing to grab onto, no ground beneath his feet. Just empty space.
He wanted to scream, to do something, but his body didn't respond. His thoughts felt like they were being washed away in a sea of confusion. The only thing he could cling to was his own panicked voice, faintly echoing in his mind: What happened? Did I die?
The longer he lingered in the abyss, the more his thoughts spiraled. Memories flashed before him—his last moments on the couch, the sudden shock of the spilled drink, the violent crash. Had that been the moment? Had he really—
Wait. No. It can't be. I'm not dead, am I?
He wished he could laugh at the absurdity of it all, but the thought of death was still too fresh, too real. He hadn't even had time to think about what would happen if he died. No goodbyes, no dramatic final moments, just... a damn mess and a concussion.
And then, as if his thoughts were a catalyst, something shifted.
A force—a strange, pulling sensation—tugged at him, like a current drawing him toward something. He didn't have time to register what was happening before everything around him started to move. A sudden rush of wind swept through the empty space, faster than he could track. His senses were assaulted with new, alien sounds—the sound of rustling leaves, the distant call of birds, and the hum of something ancient in the air.
Where am I?
He tried to make sense of it, but the question seemed useless. He couldn't see, couldn't feel anything tangible. And yet, somehow, he was aware. Aware of the ground beneath him, aware of the air brushing against his skin. The faint scent of earth, of moss and wood, tickled his nostrils.
Finally, the current slowed.
With a sudden burst of light, Kai's body jerked forward, colliding with what felt like solid ground. He crashed into soft, damp earth, the air around him thick with the rich, earthy scent of a forest.
He blinked, groaning as his senses snapped back into place. The light around him was blinding at first, too bright for his eyes to adjust. But gradually, he began to make out shapes—large, towering trees stretching high into the sky. The ground beneath him felt soft and spongy, like he was lying in the middle of some dense, overgrown forest.
His hands shot out to brace himself, and as he pushed himself into a sitting position, he could see the forest clearly now. It was thick with vines and leaves, the trees around him impossibly tall, the air damp and cool. It wasn't just the smell that told him this wasn't any ordinary forest—it was the heaviness of the atmosphere, the sense of something ancient, something that had existed long before humanity had even imagined it.
This wasn't his room. This wasn't even Earth.
This was... somewhere else.
"What... the hell?" Kai muttered under his breath, his voice hoarse.
He shot to his feet, swaying slightly as dizziness hit him. His head throbbed from the fall, but that wasn't the most pressing issue. The forest—no, this entire place—felt wrong. It was beautiful, sure, but it was too... unreal. He reached for his head to steady himself, running his fingers through his messy hair, but something felt off.
His shirt, his shorts—they were the same, nothing had changed. He was still wearing his casual clothes, just like he had been back at home. But everything else... What the hell was going on?
He glanced around again, the rush of panic slowly starting to set in. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat louder than the last. His mouth went dry. His thoughts scrambled.
Was this real? Was he dreaming? No, this wasn't a dream.
That realization hit him with the force of a sledgehammer.
There was no way he was dreaming. This was real.
Just then, a loud noise from behind him made him spin around. He froze.
A goblin.
At first, he thought it was just some illusion, a trick of his mind, but no. The creature was standing just a few meters away, watching him. It was short, about four feet tall, with wild green skin that shimmered in the pale light filtering through the trees. Its eyes were an unnatural yellow, and it grinned, revealing sharp, jagged teeth.
The goblin's mouth opened wide, exposing rows of jagged teeth. It sneered at Kai, its eyes narrowed in malicious amusement.
"What the hell?" Kai breathed, too startled to move.
The goblin raised a crude-looking spear, its intentions clear.
Kai's legs felt like they were made of stone. He couldn't move, couldn't even think straight. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to run, but his body remained frozen. The goblin was getting closer, its heavy footsteps making the ground tremble beneath him.
What do I do? Kai's mind screamed as the creature came closer, its grin widening.
And then it lunged.
Kai's legs felt like they were made of stone. The goblin was closing in, its crooked grin widening, eyes glowing with an eerie yellow gleam. The crude spear in its hands seemed impossibly sharp, its jagged edges catching the dim light of the forest as it drew closer, step by heavy step.
What the hell do I do? His mind was racing, but his body—frozen. The tension in his chest threatened to suffocate him as the goblin's grin stretched wider, its feet scuffing the ground, coming closer.
He had to move. He had to fight. But how?
In the back of his mind, the usual thought patterns from his binge-watching days slipped into his consciousness. This wasn't the first time he'd seen something like this. His brain flickered with the image of Elion from Eldren's Wrath, the way he'd stood his ground in front of overwhelming enemies. Elion had never backed down. Elion had always fought for the greater good, his sword flashing like a beacon of hope in the darkness.
But Kai wasn't Elion. He wasn't a hero. He was just an Otaku—just a lazy guy who barely got off his chair. The thought of facing this goblin, this actual, flesh-and-blood creature, was terrifying. There's no way I'm surviving this.
And yet, as if guided by instinct more than reason, his hands shot out, grabbing a nearby rock from the ground. The goblin was within arm's reach now, its eyes gleaming in amusement, too confident in its victory.
With a scream of adrenaline, Kai hurled the rock at the goblin, aiming for its head. The rock flew through the air, the impact sharp and sudden as it collided with the goblin's skull. The creature staggered back in surprise, clearly stunned by the unexpected attack.
I did it... I actually hit it!
The goblin growled in pain, but it didn't stop. With a screech, it lunged again, the spear swinging wildly through the air toward Kai's midsection.
Shit!
Kai barely dodged the spear, stumbling backward, his heart pounding in his chest. His legs were shaking, every muscle screaming in protest. He had no skills, no weapon, nothing to defend himself with. But the fear, the primal instinct for survival, kicked in.
Without thinking, he grabbed another rock, this time a jagged one, and swung it like a club. The goblin tried to swing its spear, but Kai was faster. The rock connected with its arm, knocking the spear out of its hands. The goblin hissed in pain, its yellow eyes wide with fury. But before it could retaliate, Kai swung the rock again, this time aiming for the creature's face.
The force of the blow sent the goblin reeling back, dazed, its legs wobbling as it tried to maintain its balance. Kai wasted no time. With every ounce of strength he could muster, he charged forward, the rock raised high above his head. The goblin's eyes widened in shock as Kai brought the rock crashing down into its skull.
There was a sickening crack.
The goblin fell, its body crumpling to the ground with a final, pitiful grunt. The forest was silent, save for the heavy, labored breathing escaping Kai's lips.
Did I... did I really just do that?
Kai stared down at the lifeless creature in disbelief, the weight of what had just happened sinking in slowly. His hands were trembling, his heart still pounding in his chest. His head was a blur, a mix of confusion and awe. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, leaving him weak and disoriented.
What the hell was that? he thought, his voice barely more than a whisper. His limbs were shaking from the effort, his body crashing against the overwhelming exhaustion.
His vision began to swim, his surroundings blurring. His legs buckled under him, and he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
But just before everything went dark, a sound pierced through the haze of exhaustion. A soft chime, almost melodic, echoed in the air, reverberating through his body.
Ding!
The sound was sharp and clear, cutting through the fog of his mind. It was followed by another, like a distant voice speaking to him, but he couldn't make out the words.
And then, the world tilted. His vision blurred completely, and darkness took over.